New Brighton by Rail

On Saturday 16th March 2019, I made a day trip to New Brighton. This followed day trips earlier in the year to Blackpool on 17th February 2019 (post here), Llandudno on 23rd February 2019 (post here) and Morecambe on 2nd March 2019 (post here).

The trip to New Brighton, like the other trips mentioned above, was intended to observe changes since my previous trip to Liverpool and New Brighton on 17th November 2018 (post here). On the November trip, I'd seen that control of parts of the railway route in the Liverpool area had been transferred to the Manchester ROC (Rail Operating Centre) but I'd since read that, before Christmas 2018, further sections of the route had been transferred so I thought that a trip, armed with the Railcam.UK 'app' on my mobile phone (which is briefly described in my post Watching The Trains Go By) would clarify the present situation for me.

Getting there

I caught the 09:20 West Midland Trains 4-car Electric Multiple Unit from Wolverhampton to Liverpool Lime Street. After our Stafford stop, we remained on the Slow Line to Crewe. The train was booked into platform 11 but, checking the live signalling diagram on Railcam.UK, I noticed that platform 11 was already occupied. We slowed approaching Crewe South Junction but kept moving and stopped in platform 12 which sees occasional use. Because of the 'musical platforms' change, it was a few minutes before all the passengers waiting on platform 11 had made their way over the footbridge to join the train.

The train was quite full as we left Crewe, again routed on the Down Slow, allowing a Down 'Pendolino' to pass us before the two-track bottleneck at Winsford, where we picked up more passengers. With further stops at Hartford, Acton Bridge and Runcorn we had become quite crowded. At Liverpool South Parkway, we dropped a few passengers but picked up around the same number by which time I'd confirmed that the signal boxes at Halton Junction, Runcorn, Speke Junction and Allerton Junction had been 'abolished' with control now from Manchester ROC. Some existing signals had been renumbered with a new 'Control Code' followed by a 4-digit number (I assumed 'WE' was Weaver Junction to Liverpool Edge Hill). In other cases, completely new signals had been provided, like the example in the picture below.


Signal WE5831, platform 4 Liverpool South Parkway (New Brighton by rail).

However, as we approached the complex junctions around Edge Hill it appeared that, at present, the area remained an 'island' of earlier technology. Elderly (and in some cases, rusting) 3- and 4-aspect conventional colour light signals supplied by Westinghouse still labelled 'LE' remained in use as, presumably, was the modernistic 'panel box' at Edge Hill. But the signalling in Edge Hill Cutting and Lime Street Station itself has been renewed as part of the Lime Street re-modelling and control is now from Manchester ROC. The former Lime Street signal box, on our left as we slowed to a stop in the platform, showed signs of the internals being stripped.

As usual, I purchased a 'Saveaway' day ticket and descended to the Merseyrail underground platform at Lime Street. Normally, I take the train to James Street and then walk to the Museum of Liverpool to check on their star railway exhibit 'Lion'. Not wishing to be completely predictable, I instead continued under the River Mersey as far as Birkenhead North on a West Kirby service. Incidentally, I'd discovered that Rock Ferry was currently the limit of trains on the Chester Line. From there, two bus services (one All-stations, one Direct) were then serving Hooton where rail services were resumed but I didn't discover the reason. I left my West Kirby train at Birkenhead North station built by the Wirral Railway. There's a Wikipedia article on the Wirral Railway here.


New Brighton by rail: Birkenhead North station (Merseyrail).

Before boarding the following train to New Brighton, I had time to notice the stone carving on one gable end of the neat, brick station building on the Down side showing the Wirral Railway's 'blazon', which I confirmed afterwards by reference to the 'Heraldry of the World' site here.


Wirral Railway carving, Birkenhead North station (Merseyrail).

The weather was overcast but surprisingly warm when I arrived at New Brighton's attractive station, offering a pleasant walk along Victoria Road then Victoria Parade to the promenade. I couldn't resist taking a picture of a telephone lineman at work.


'Openreach' Lineman working on a British Telecom Distruibution Pole in Victoria Road, New Brighton (New Brighton by rail).

As you approach the front, the view is now dominated by the huge, red-painted container cranes on the other side of the Mersey at the deepwater dock called 'Liverpool 2'. A group of young people in wet suits were enjoying themselves on the sandy New Brighton beach.


New Brighton by rail: View of Liverpool 2 Dock from New Brighton, with a group of young people in wet-suits on the beach.

I walked towards Fort Perch Rock, where there's a Ship's Radio Museum. Their website suggested that the museum was open at weekends. On the way, I took a picture of a small part of the alien-looking Burbo Bank Array of offshore wind turbines, together with a jack-up rig with its huge crane in the stowed position.


New Brighton by rail: Burbo Bank Array and Jack-up Rig.


New Brighton by rail: Fort Perch Rock.

Fort Perch Rock was, in fact, closed and "repelling all Boarders" so I chose to walk along the Promenade up-river to Seacombe. At over 2 miles in length, it's reputed to be the longest promenade in the country. I'd made the walk in the opposite direction on 29th December 2015 (there's a post here). Not long after starting my walk, 'Stena Mersey' (a passenger/freight 'Ro-Ro' ferry) silently passed, heading for the Irish Sea and Belfast.


New Brighton by rail: 'Stena Mersey' passes New Brighton, outbound from Twelve Quays.

Further on, I was pleased to see the 'pirate ship' 'Black Pearl', constructed from driftwood, still entertaining children.


New Brighton by rail: The 'Black Pearl' art installation for children.

On my right, I passed Vale Park. Within the park, Vale House, built circa 1830, was for over 50 years the family home of Charles Holland, a Liverpool businessman and Wirral Justice of the Peace. Holland travelled widely and returned with botanical specimens that his gardeners planted. Vale House is now a community café & tea-room. I resisted the the temptation to linger, as I'd a fair walk ahead of me and my plan was to arrive at Seacombe in time to catch the hourly Mersey Ferry back to Liverpool Pierhead.

A spacious, tiled shelter on the landward side of the promenade next to Vale Park carried a blue plaque:-

Dr Dominic Joseph Poggi
29th August 1811 to 15th October 1880
This Shelter marks the position of
Dr Poggi's New Brighton College
which was burnt down on or about 27th
October 1862. The family were given shelter
by Mr Holland a magistrate who owned
Vale House. The Great Italian liberator
General Garibaldi had two sons; one or
both were educated at the College.

I loved the vagueness of "on or about" and "one or both".


Shelter on the site of Dr Poggi's College (New Brighton by rail)

Earlier in my walk, I'd seen another 'Ro-Ro' ferry extricating itself from Liverpool Docks. Manoeuvring complete, it was now heading downstrean and I was able to identify it as 'Seatruck Power'.


New Brighton by rail: 'Seatruck Power' outbound, viewed from Egremont.

In the post Watching The Ships Go By, I talked about the views around Liverpool available on the 'Wirralcam' site. One of the cameras is at Egremont, so I took a picture of the installation at 'Captain's View'.


'Wirralcam' installation on balcony of 'Captain's View', Egremont (New Brighton by rail).

I decided to attempt another 'selfie via the internet' but, as I set it up, the weather deteriorated, becoming quite dark and with intermittent rain, so the result was scarcely worth the trouble.


'Wirralcam' viewed on my mobile 'phone under rather poor conditions. The solitary figure just visible at the top of the concrete ramp leading to the beach is myself (New Brighton by rail).

The rain stopped more or less as soon as I continued my walk. This time, as I passed the impressive bulk of Wallasey Town Hall, I noticed that the gardens around the building were dedicated to the 96 people who lost their lives at Hillsborough Football Stadium, Sheffield on 15th April 1989.


New Brighton by rail: Wallasey Town Hall.

I could see the ferry I hoped to catch starting its crossing from Liverpool so that encouraged me to keep going. I took a picture of a naval ship moored on the Liverpool side but it was not until afterwards that I could identify it as HMS 'Enterprise' a "a multi-role hydrographic vessel".


View of Liverpool from Promenade by Wallasey Town Hall, showing HMS 'Enterprise', H88, a multi-role hydrographic vessel built 2002 (New Brighton by rail).

With my destination in sight, I hurried past the huge ventilation tower on the Kingsway Road Tunnel. I arrived at Seacombe Ferry in plenty of time.


New Brighton by rail: Seacombe Ferry Building, opened 1933 listed Grade II.

When I obtained the 'boarding pass' for the ferry I was surprised to be told that boarding would be via the upstream access 'bridge'. So that the ferry can operate at all states of the tide, the actual landing stage is a floating pontoon connected to the shore by two 'bridges' also used for access which are articulated at each end allowing the pontoon to rise and fall with the tide. In the past, the downstream access bridge was normally used, resulting in money having been spent on making that approach a little more 'user friendly'. But, on this occasion, the upstream access bridge was in use - clean and perfectly adequate but a little more basic.


New Brighton by rail: Seacombe Ferry access bridge to Landing Stage with 'Royal Iris' arriving in background.

The afternoon ship's bridge crew (Captain and First Officer, I assumed) also joined the 'Royal Iris' ferry as the handful of passengers boarded. Soon, we were heading upstream towards the landing stage at Birkenhead Woodside, passing yet another 'Ro-Ro' ferry moored at Twelve Quays, 'Stena Forecaster'.


New Brighton by rail: 'Stena Forecaster' berthed at Twelve Quays.

The wind on the open deck which I normally prefer was quite strong and only a few hardy souls were with me. I managed a picture of what I assume was the pump house for the massive locks leading to the Great Float at Birkenhead.


New Brighton by rail: Birkenhead Docks, showing pump house.

Quite a number of passengers left or boarded the ferry at Woodside.


Boarding ramp at Woodside landing stage, viewed from Mersey Ferry.

We left the landing stage and continued upstream a little, offering the chance to see what was going on at the famous Cammell-Laird shipyard. The 'Tide' class replenishment tanker RFA Tidespring (A136) was visible in one of the basins. There's a Wikipedia article about this vessel here.


New Brighton by rail: the Cammell-Laird Shipyard viewed from the Mersey Ferry, showing RFA Tidespring (A136).

The new polar research vessel 'Sir David Attenborough' was also visible being fitted-out. Wikipedia have an article here about this ship.


New Brighton by rail: the Cammell-Laird Shipyard viewed from the Mersey Ferry, showing RRS 'Sir David Attenborough'.

A little further upstream, at Tranmere Oil Terminal, the tanker 'Torill Knutsen' was berthed. I was puzzled because I could see a large steel structure attached to the bow whose function I could only guess at. On my return, a little bit of internet research confirmed that my guess was correct. The 'Torill Knutsen' is called a 'Shuttle Tanker', intended for ferrying product from offshore production facilities where the cost of a pipeline to land is not economic. There's a little more about the Knutsen OAS Shipping tanker fleet here. But I would never have guessed the significance of 'KNOT' painted on the hull. Apparently, in 2010 a Joint Venture with the Japanese conglomerate NYK was called Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers - KNOT.


New Brighton by rail: 'Torill Knutsen' shuttle tanker berthed at Tranmere Terminal, viewed from Mersey Ferry.

The ferry had now crossed towards the Liverpool shore and we sailed downstream towards Pierhead landing stage, passing the huge Anglican cathedral


New Brighton by rail: Liverpool Anglican Cathedral viewed from Mersey Ferry.

On the approach to Pierhead, we passed close to the delightful Pilotage Building and the dreadful modern Museum of Liverpool building (don't get me started ...)


New Brighton by rail: Museum of Liverpool and the Pilotage Building viewed from Mersey Ferry.

We docked on time and it was only on disembarking that I realised how busy the service had been, since most passengers had avoided the rather windswept open deck areas.


'Royal Iris' docking at Liverpool Pierhead.

As usual, I had thoroughly enjoyed my river trip but I was definitely tiring so decided I'd better not delay my return home. I walked to James Street Merseyrail Station and descended to the platform in one of the huge electric lifts. Just two stops took me to Lime Street Station. In the main line station, the next service home was already waiting in platform 7. Before departure, I had time to walk the length of the platform. Looking back, my 4-coach Electric Multiple Unit looked lost inside the spacious, airy train shed (a similar train shed alongside covers the local platforms).


New Brighton by rail: Liverpool Lime Street Station.

As I studied the new LED colour light signals, a 'Pedolino' service from Euston arrived in platform 9 and disembarking passengers streamed along the lengthy platform.


New Brighton by rail: Liverpool Lime Street Station.

On the return journey, I paid as much attention as possible to changes in the infrastructure but it had already become too dark for reasonable photographs. Another enjoyable day trip!

Related Posts on this Website

For me, Merseyside is a special place so there's a 'Label' to find everything I've written relating to the area (there are over 40 posts at the time of writing). Your can display all these posts, in reverse date-of-posting order, by selecting Label 'Merseyside' (or click here).

The following post describes my most recent prior visit to New Brighton on 17th November 2018:-
Another Trip to Merseyside.

My pictures

Where necessary, clicking on an image above will display an 'uncropped' view or, alternately, pictures may be selected, viewed or downloaded, in various sizes, from the albums below:-

In making my (often quite poor) pictures available on the internet, I have divided them into various albums each covering a roughly-defined geographical area. Within each album, photographs are normally arranged by date taken. Thus, by searching through the appropriate album, you can find changes through time. So, this trip to New Brighton added pictures to a number of albums as I moved through various areas.

The journey:
West Midland Railways (Wolverhampton).
Stafford Area rail.
Crewe Area rail.
Liverpool area rail (Winsford-Weaver Jn).
Warrington Area rail.
Merseyrail.

The destination:
Liverpool.
The Wirral.

Morecambe by Rail

On Saturday 2nd March 2019, I made a trip to Morecambe and Heysham, following day trips to Blackpool on 17th February 2019 (post here) and then Llandudno on 23rd February 2019 (post here).

The Morecambe trip, like the recent trips to Blackpool and Llandudno, was intended to observe changes since my previous visit to Morecambe and Heysham on 14th December 2013. The visit in 2013 produced two posts - Return to Heysham and, with historical background on the railways, Railways around Morecambe.

Getting there

Once I'd decided that, despite not-very-good weather forecasts, I'd make the trip, I worked out the train times and booked tickets on the internet. I'd use Virgin's 'Pedolino' service from London to Glasgow via Birmingham to Lancaster and, knowing that these trains can get busy, decided to pay the 'Weekend First' surcharge. I also downloaded an electronic ticket to my mobile phone, to avoid either queuing at the ticket office or picking up a paper ticket from a machine at Wolverhampton station. It still seems strange to me to download a ticket to a mobile 'phone - I was brought up in the era of Ericcson pasteboard tickets. The ticket included the leg from Lancaster to Morecambe via Northern. These were the timings:-

Wolverhapton-Morecambe	Arrive	Depart
Wolverhampton		09:37
Lancaster	11:07	11:28
Morecambe	11:37

Morecambe-Wolverhapton	Arrive	Depart
Morecambe		15:09
Lancaster	15:18	15:38
Preston	15:56	16:17
Wolverhampton	17:33

I also confirmed that it was possible to go from Morecambe to Heysham and back by train but the only service that day allowed just three minutes in Heysham!

Morecambe-Heysham and return	Arrive	Depart
Morecambe		13:02
Heysham Port	13:17	13:20
Morecambe	13:35

I arrived at Wolverhampton in plenty of time for my first train, with time to look at the forlorn bulk of Wolverhampton Power Signal Box, still sitting on the up side at the Birmingham end of the station and remember visits I'd made there when it was in use.


Former Wolverhampton Power Signal Box.

As forecast, the skies were rather overcast but it was not cold. My train arrived at Wolverhampton a few minutes late, I found my reserved seat without difficulty and we sped north. At Crewe, we stopped in platform 11 and I was able to take a picture of the large 3-storey office block on the former island platform 1/2. The overall roof which originally covered this platform has gone but modern umbrella roofing has been erected over the former platform 2, now renumbered 12 and seeing occasional use.


Crewe: Station buildings on former platforms 1/2 (trip to Morecambe)

We were soon on our way again, passing all the familiar landmarks, dashing past Weaver Junction where the Liverpool line diverged, glimpsing the Manchester Ship Canal before dashing down the bank to our station stop at Warrington, with the huge soap works on our left. Our route continued north through Winwick Junction, where the branch to the original Liverpool and Manchester Line at Earlestown curves to the left, past the site of the famous Vulcan locomotive works. One of the refurbished Class 319 Electric Multiple Units (cascaded from the London area) was waiting at the signal on the Up Earlestown for us to pass before continuing towards Warrington. Through the magic of Railcam.UK, I was able to follow this on a live signalling diagram on my mobile 'phone (there's a post about Railcam.UK here).


View from my train, 9S47, passing waiting EMU, 2F28, on Earlestown line at Winwick Jn., Warrington (trip to Morecambe)


Live signalling diagram of Winwick Jn., Warrington showing my train, 9S47, passing waiting EMU, 2F28, on Earlestown line (trip to Morecambe)
Click here for larger versions of this image

Our route entered a sandstone cutting, passed under the Liverpool and Manchester line then, after Golborne Junction with its branch to the Liverpool and Manchester line, became quadruple track. At Bamfurlong Junction a pair of goods lines peeled left, descended so as to pass under our route and re-appeared on our right at Springs Branch, where the line from Liverpool and Huyton joined on the left.


Bamfurlong Jn., Wigan showing Goods Lines descending before crossing under Main Lines (Trip to Morecambe)

Just before our stop at Wigan North Western station, the former Lancashire and Yorkshire line from Manchester appeared on our right, allowing interconnection with our route, before descending to Wigan's other station, Wigan Wallgate, at a lower level. After our brief stop, we passed over the line from Wigan Wallgate, with views of the junction with the line to Kirkby on the left and the line to Southport on the right.


Wigan: View of L&Y lines at low level as we depart from Wigan North Western for Preston (Trip to Morecambe)

The junctions at Boar's Head and Standish are long gone. Quadruple track, paired by use, now resumes before Balshaw Lane and Euxton station with platforms only on the Slow lines on our left. Euxton Junction remains, where the line from Bolton via Chorley joins on our right, but with a much simpler track layout than I remember from steam days. Leyland station followed. Leyland lent its name to a series of motor manufacturing companies established next to the railway. The rather complicated history is briefly outlined in the Wikipedia article here. I certainly remember the British Leyland Motor Corporation and the later years of the saga. I made a few visits to the plant for Ford Electronics when we were helping a client to resolve some problems on the Italian-manufactured automated High Bay Warehouse at the site. More junctions follow at Farington, where a line diverges right to join the former Lancashire and Yorkshire route to Blackburn and at Farington Curve Junction where the 'Lanky' route, having passed over the West Coast Main Line, converges with the Slow lines on our left. The single line from Ormskirk also converges at this location. A few hundred yards further on, the B5254 road crosses over the railway on the skew, giving rise to the railway name Skew Bridge Junction where the Slow lines spawn an additional pair of Goods lines which still extend to the north end of Preston station.

As we left Preston after our stop, I took the picture below showing the Blackpool Line which I'd travelled on 9th February 2019 as described in the post here.


Preston: Fylde Line and St. Walburge's Church, viewed from the WCML. (Trip to Morecambe)

Just 13 minutes are allowed for the Preston to Lancaster 'leg', so I was soon on platform 3 at Lancaster watching my train continue north around the sweeping reverse curve at the north end of the station.


Lancaster station looking north (Trip to Morecambe)

Within ten minutes, a Class 150 Diesel Multiple Unit forming the Morecambe shuttle service appeared on the Up Main and crossed to Bay platform 2. The Driver and lady Guard changed ends, the waiting passengers boarded and we departed for Morecambe right time.


Lancaster station with DMU from Morecambe arriving (Trip to Morecambe)

Shortly after leaving Lancaster, we crossed the broad River Lune. I was seated on the left (as I usually prefer, to give a better chance of observing signals on the journey) so my picture below is looking towards the sea, with the power stations at Heysham visible on the skyline.


Crossing the River Lune having left Lancaster for Morecambe (Trip to Morecambe)

We left the West Coast Main Line at Morecambe South Junction on the reversible single line to Bare Lane Junction, where a similar reversible single line from Hest Bank Junction converged, forming a triangle with the West Coast Main Line. The single line immediately splits into two parallel single lines through Bare Lane station to Morecambe. On my trip in 2013, Bare Lane signal box structure adjacent to the level crossing was still there (although control had already transferred to Preston Power Signal Box) but in 2019, it had gone. The level crossing (the road is called Bare Lane) still had the skirted full lifting barriers and flashing lights I remembered from 2013. This time, I noticed the extra set of flashing lights pointing sideways to face South Road which joins Bare Lane just south of the crossing.


Bare Lane Level Crossing: An extra set of flashing lights face the blue car emerging from South Road (Trip to Morecambe)

It was overcast but dry and pleasantly warm on our arrival in Morecambe so I purchase a return ticket for the later Heysham service before setting off to the seafront down Northumberland Street. I decided to explore along the Stone Jetty. On the Railway Clearing House map of 1913 showing the Morecambe area repeated below, the Stone Jetty is shown as 'Harbour Goods'.


Click here for enlarged view
Details of the lines around Morecambe in 1913 originally published by the Railway Clearing House. Reprinted in 'Pre-Grouping Railway Junction Diagrams 1914', published by Ian Allen (ISBN 0 7110 1256 3).

Of course, there's no sign now of the original tracks but a stone building and lighthouse erected in 1853 survives with a plaque commemorating the earlier use of the Stone Jetty as a railway terminus serving Irish and Scottish Ferries.


Morecambe: Stone Jetty Terminal Building and Lighthouse.

The Stone Jetty is an excellent vantage point for taking in the sweep of Morecambe Bay and offers good views of the sea-facing elevation of the famous Midland Hotel. The Wikipedia article here describes the architectural style as 'streamline moderne' and provides a useful history.


Morecambe, view looking north from Stone Jetty (Trip to Morecambe)


Midland Hotel, Morecambe showing elevation facing the sea (Trip to Morecambe)

The hotel is just yards away from the former Morecambe Promenade station, built by the Midland Railway, now 're-purposed' as Information Centre, Events Venue and Public House.


Morecambe: Former Midland Railway Promenade Station.

I made my way back to the station in plenty of time to catch the Heysham train and was amused to find the electronic Passenger Information Displays had failed.


Heysham by rail: Failed Passenger Information Display at Morecambe station.

But the same Class 150 which had brought me to Morecambe, with the same crew, trundled into the station on time.


Heysham by rail: The Class 150 shuttle arrives from Lancaster, prior to its trip to Heysham.

Once the crew had changed ends and the three or four passengers had boarded, we set off, stopping at Morecambe Junction ground frame just outside the station. The driver climbed down, contacted Preston Power Box on the telephone, obtained the release, and operated the points mechanically to give access to the Heysham branch. What looked like 2-aspect colour light signals on each approach to the points were Point Indicators which appeared to display steady yellow when the points were 'proved' and flash otherwise but I couldn't confirm this.


Heysham by rail: The Driver setting the points for the Heysham branch.

Whilst the lines from Bare Lane to Morecambe use Flat Bottom rail continuously welded, the branch to Heysham remains jointed Bullhead rail, so we made an undulating progress with the 4-wheeled vehicles 'nodding' at each fishplate joint and it took all of the 15 minutes allowed to reach Heysham. There was no large ferry docked alongside the station on this trip so my attention turned to the two AGR ('advanced gas-cooled reactor') nuclear power stations operated by EDF Energy (owned by the French state-owned organisation Électricité de France). They looked increasingly careworn cosmetically so that I wondered at first if they'd entered the decommissioning phase. After my trip, the internet confirmed they're both still operational.

Heysham 1 generating 1155 MW is expected to generate until 2024 and there's more here.


Heysham No. 1 Nuclear Power Station (Heysham by rail).

Heysham 2 generating 1230MW is expected to generate until 2030 and there's more here


Heysham No. 2 Nuclear Power Station (Heysham by rail).

Later, I realised that the nuclear power stations are built on reclaimed land. The 1913 Railway Clearing House Map (above) shows Heysham station built on a jetty thrust into the sea but protected by two long moles to north and south. It would appear that all of the area between the southern mole and the original jetty has been reclaimed and is now home to two nuclear power stations whilst part of the area between the northern mole and the jetty has been reclaimed, leaving a rectangular dock.

As the crew changed ends again, I commented to the friendly driver that he was kept pretty busy with changing and and even having to work the Ground Frame at Morecambe Junction. "Oh, they don't like us standing around!" he replied cheerfully, letting me take a picture of his 'Office'.


Cab of Class 150 at Heysham (Heysham by rail).

After our very brief visit to Heysham, we returned to Morecambe. One reason the Heysham branch remains open is to allow nuclear flask trains to access the power stations and we passed Heysham Power Station Ground Frame shortly after leaving Heysham station.


Siding to Power Stations at Heysham (Heysham by rail).

The fairly exposed area near the power stations had a number of large wind turbines, a large solar installation and what looks like a newer high voltage switchyard in addition to the one I'd seen during the 2013 trip.


High Voltage Electricity Switchyard and Transmission Lines at Heysham (Heysham by rail).

Back at Morecambe Junction, we joined the two single lines from Bare Lane which originally formed the double-track route into the long-gone Euston Road terminus.


Two single lines from Bare Lane viewed from Heysham branch. Note cable route using pre-cast concrete troughing and concrete 'lid' on cable turning chamber (Heysham by rail).

Having cleared the points to the Heysham branch, we stopped and the driver climbed down and restored the route ready for his next trip back to Lancaster before continuing into platform 2 at Morecambe station.

It was now raining intermittently but I had around an hour and a half before I needed to catch the train back to Lancaster and had determined that I'd spend the time in an excellent second-hand bookshop called The Old Pier Bookshop (you can find their Facebook page here). One of my weaknesses is second-hand books so, by the time I left, I was loaded down with plastic carrier bags of railway titles. There was little time to admire the scenery around Morecambe Bay before I turned inland and hurried back towards the station.


Morecambe: View from Promenade (Trip to Morecambe).

There was a train already waiting in platform 1 but this turned out to be the 15:04 Northern service to Leeds which, on a Saturday, apparently takes the left route at Bare Lane to reach Carnforth without performing a reversal at Lancaster as some trains do. This train departed and the Class 150 I was becoming used to arrived in platform 2. The familiar crew changed ends and we set off back to Lancaster where there was quite a crowd waiting for the 'Pendolino' which would take me as far as Preston.


Lancaster Station showing Up Side station buildings. The Class 150 I'd taken from Morecambe prepares to return to Morecambe (Heysham by rail).

I was starting to tire by the time we arrived at Preston and we were starting to lose the light, discouraging more photography so I was content to board my connecting 'Pendolino' and relax on the familiar route back to Wolverhapton after an interesting day.

Related Posts on this Website

This was my first post on the Morecambe area:-
Steam around Morecambe These posts were written after my 2013 visit:-
Return to Heysham
Railways around Morecambe


My pictures

Where necessary, clicking on an image above will display an 'uncropped' view or, alternately, pictures may be selected, viewed or downloaded, in various sizes, from the albums below:-

In making my (often quite poor) pictures available on the internet, I have divided them into various albums each covering a roughly-defined geographical area. Within each album, photographs are normally arranged by date taken. Thus, by searching through the appropriate album, you can find changes through time. So, my trip to Morecambe added pictures to a number of albums as we moved through various areas.

The journey:
West Midland Railways (Wolverhampton).
Stafford Area rail.
Crewe Area rail.
Liverpool area rail (Winsford-Weaver Jn).
Warrington Area rail.
Wigan's Railways.
Railways around Preston.
Lancaster area rail.
Morecambe area railways.

The destination:
Morecambe (includes pictures of former Promenade station building).